The Connected Discourses of the Buddha - Selections

Chapter 45. Maggasaṃyutta: Connected Discourses on the Path

IV. Practice

31 (1) Practice (1)
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, I will teach you wrong practice and right practice. Listen to that….
“And what, bhikkhus, is wrong practice? It is: wrong view … wrong concentration. This is called wrong practice.
“And what, bhikkhus, is right practice? It is: right view … right concentration. This is called right practice.”

32 (2) Practice (2)
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, I will teach you the one practising wrongly and the one practising rightly. Listen to that….
“And what, bhikkhus, is the one practising wrongly? Here someone is of wrong view … wrong concentration. This is called the one practising wrongly.
“And what, bhikkhus, is the one practising rightly? Here someone is of right view … right concentration. This is called the one practising rightly.”

33 (3) Neglected
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, those who have neglected the Noble Eightfold Path have neglected the noble path leading to the complete destruction of suffering. Those who have undertaken the Noble Eightfold Path have undertaken the noble path leading to the complete destruction of suffering. [24]
“And what, bhikkhus, is the Noble Eightfold Path? It is: right view … right concentration. Those who have neglected this Noble Eightfold Path … Those who have undertaken this Noble Eightfold Path have undertaken the noble path leading to the complete destruction of suffering.”

34 (4) Going Beyond
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, these eight things, when developed and cultivated, lead to going beyond from the near shore to the far shore. What eight? Right view … right concentration. These eight things, when developed and cultivated, lead to going beyond from the near shore to the far shore.”
This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:

“Few are those among humankind
Who go beyond to the far shore.
The rest of the people merely run
Up and down along the bank.

“When the Dhamma is rightly expounded
Those who practise in accord with the Dhamma
Are the people who will go beyond
The realm of Death so hard to cross.

“Having left behind the dark qualities,
The wise man should develop the bright ones.
Having come from home into homelessness,
Where it is hard to take delight—

“There in seclusion he should seek delight,
Having left behind sensual pleasures.
Owning nothing, the wise man
Should cleanse himself of mental defilements.

“Those whose minds are well developed
In the factors of enlightenment,
Who through nonclinging find delight
In the relinquishment of grasping:
Those luminous ones with taints destroyed
Are fully quenched in the world.” [25]

35 (5) Asceticism (1)
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, I will teach you asceticism and the fruits of asceticism. Listen to that….
“And what, bhikkhus, is asceticism? It is this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view … right concentration. This is called asceticism.
“And what, bhikkhus, are the fruits of asceticism? The fruit of stream-entry, the fruit of once-returning, the fruit of nonreturning, the fruit of arahantship. These are called the fruits of asceticism.”

36 (6) Asceticism (2)
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, I will teach you asceticism and the goal of asceticism. Listen to that….
“And what, bhikkhus, is asceticism? It is this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view … right concentration. This is called asceticism.
“And what, bhikkhus, is the goal of asceticism? The destruction of lust, the destruction of hatred, the destruction of delusion. This is called the goal of asceticism.”

37 (7) Brahminhood (1)
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, I will teach you brahminhood and the fruits of brahminhood. Listen to that….
“And what, bhikkhus, is brahminhood? It is this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view … right concentration. This is called brahminhood.
“And what, bhikkhus, are the fruits of brahminhood? [26] The fruit of stream-entry, the fruit of once-returning, the fruit of nonreturning, the fruit of arahantship. These are called the fruits of brahminhood.”

38 (8) Brahminhood (2)
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, I will teach you brahminhood and the goal of brahminhood. Listen to that….
“And what, bhikkhus, is brahminhood? It is this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view … right concentration. This is called brahminhood.
“And what, bhikkhus, is the goal of brahminhood? The destruction of lust, the destruction of hatred, the destruction of delusion. This is called the goal of brahminhood.”

39 (9) The Holy Life (1)
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, I will teach you the holy life and the fruits of the holy life. Listen to that….
“And what, bhikkhus, is the holy life? It is this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view … right concentration. This is called the holy life.
“And what, bhikkhus, are the fruits of the holy life? The fruit of stream-entry, the fruit of once-returning, the fruit of nonreturning, the fruit of arahantship. These are called the fruits of the holy life.”

40 (10) The Holy Life (2)
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, I will teach you the holy life and the goal of the holy life. Listen to that….
“And what, bhikkhus, is the holy life? It is this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view … right concentration. This is called the holy life. [27]
“And what, bhikkhus, is the goal of the holy life? The destruction of lust, the destruction of hatred, the destruction of delusion. This is called the goal of the holy life.”